


Haunting memories

by Phantomxlegend



Series: Percy Jackson one-shots :p [27]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Argo II, F/M, Hurt Percy, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Past Abuse, Percy whump, Sight description of a panic attack, gabe was abusive, mentioned child abuse, percabeth, percy was abused by gabe, post Tartarus because riptide can be used as a pen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantomxlegend/pseuds/Phantomxlegend
Summary: Gabe did a lot of things when Percy was younger.  And those memories sometimes come up from the most inconvenient times.OrGabe was an abusive step-father and some of the things he did stuck with Percy.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: Percy Jackson one-shots :p [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701808
Comments: 11
Kudos: 307





	Haunting memories

**Author's Note:**

> This was so hard to name. And also would have came out like an hour ago but I got distracted. Uhhh trigger warning: mentions of past abuse but not very much and also slight panic attacks. Anyway, enjoy.   
> Also this takes place after Tartarus because Riptide was used as a pen (though Tartarus isn’t mentioned)

“Hey, does anyone want anything while I’m up?” Percy asked, pushing his chair back.

“How about a new pet rabbit,” Leo suggested with a chuckle.

“I can get you a pop or maybe some chips,” Percy insisted, staring at Leo with a blank expression.

“Get me a pen please Percy,” Annabeth said, barely looking up from the book she was reading, she dug a scrap of paper from her pocket.

“Of course that’s what you ask for,” Percy tossed Riptided to Annabeth. She muttered a quick thanks and scribbled something out on the paper.

Percy made his way to the cooler pressed against the wall. But on the way he tripped over a wrench that Leo must have dropped at one point in time. He banged his shoulder on the table and Jason’s pop which had been sitting dangerously close to the edge toppled over and clattered to the floor.

Percy sat up so fast he hit his head on the edge of the table, his ears were ringing as he watched the puddle of coke spread.

_ “Look what you’ve done you brat!” Gabe shouted, he glared murduriously at Percy, then frowned at the growing stain of beer on the floor. _

_ “I’m s-sorry…” Percy stammered. Gabe smacked him hard across the face, hard enough to leave a dark welt. Percy stumbled to the ground, tears welling in his eyes. _

_ “Clean up this mess or so help me boy,” Gabe clenched his fist, ready to hit him again. Percy scrambled to his feet and ran to the kitchen to clean up the mess he made. _

“Percy!” A hand on his shoulder caused him to flinch. The rest of the crew were staring at him with varying looks of concern and worry.

“Are you okay?” Jason asked worriedly, he had picked up the spilled pop can and thrown a napkin over the puddle, “did you hit your head a little too hard?”

“I—uhm…” Percy stammered, his hands were shaking and he couldn’t form any intelligible words.

“Percy,” Annabeth knelt next to him, he couldn’t remember when she had come over here. She put her hand on his arm, “what’s wrong?”

Percy shook his head and stood up, his knees were shaking so badly it was a miracle he stayed standing. Everyone was looking at him worriedly and curious.

Quickly, Percy muttered, “I’m sorry.” Before bolting out of the Mess hall. He vaguely heard Annabeth calling his name. 

It was an accident. He swore that he didn’t mean it. 

Percy stumbled into his cabin and shut the door, he leaned his back against the cold wooden surface and slid down so he was sitting on the floor. His throat constricted making it hard to breathe, tears were running down his face. He had messed up again, he had screwed it all up and  _ he _ would hit him again.

“Percy.”

It was Annabeth, she knocked gently on his door. But she sounded far away and muffled, like there was water all around him.

Percy swallowed hard, he had to answer her. So, trying to keep his voice from shaking, he looked up, “yeah…?”

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah…” Percy whimpered quietly, his breaths came out in short gasps like his lungs no longer worked for air.

“Then you don’t mind if I come in?”

Percy didn’t say anything. Annabeth jiggled the doorknob and Percy reluctantly scooted away from the door and pulled his knees to his chest.

“Oh Percy,” Annabeth whispered, kneeling down in front of him.

“Can’t breathe,” Percy shook his head slowly, desperation creeping into his voice. He could hear his blood roaring in his ears. His heart was racing, “I don’t… what’s going on?”

Annabeth put her hand on Percy’s knee, but when he quickly flinched away she removed it.

“It’s okay, just try and take a deep breath,” Annabeth said gently. She leaned back on her ankles. Percy dug his nails into his palms, he sucked in as deep of a breath he could before gasping.

“That’s good, keep trying,” Annabeth wanted to take his hand and reassure him but she didn’t think it would bode well. So, she kept her hands in her lap and gave Percy her voice to focus on, encouraging him and coaching him through.

After what felt like an hour (but was probably only ten minutes or so) Percy cautiously uncurled himself. He looked up at Annabeth, his eyes bloodshot and puffy. Annabeth cupped his cheek in her hand and he didn’t flinch.

“I’m sorry I—“ Percy’s tongue felt like sandpaper, “I don’t know… that’s never happened before…” Percy hated that worried look on Annabeth’s face, he felt ashamed and guilty for making her worried.

“It looked like a panic attack,” Annabeth said quietly, “though… what could have triggered it?”

Percy clenched his jaw and looked down at the floor, anywhere but Annabeth’s face. Whatever just happened, that wasn’t okay. Percy was still uneasy and he couldn’t stop his body from shaking.

Annabeth’s gray eyes bore into Percy, but not in a frightening way or trying to be intimidating. It was a look like she was trying to figure something out.

“I didn’t mean to knock Jason’s pop over…” Percy shuddered, wrapping his arms protectively over his torso, “it was an accident… I didn’t—I didn’t mean it… I’m sorry.” 

He pulled his knees back up to his chest and buried his face in them.

“Oh, no, no, Percy, look at me,” Annabeth urged, Percy peeked up at her, all his instincts telling him not to, “it’s okay. It was just an accident, no hard feelings and the mess is all cleaned up.”

“Gabe…” Percy whispered, like the name was a forbidden swear word that he would get cursed for saying.

Annabeth recalled some mention of Percy’s old step-dad Gabe. But Percy had been pretty closed off about it at the time and the topic had never came up again. 

Annabeth knew that he drank beer all the time and played poker and smelled horrible. But beyond that she didn’t know much else.

“What happened?” She asked carefully.

“I—“ Percy took a slow breath, he could feel his throat starting to close up again and he didn’t want that to happen again, “he would… always tell me to do things… if I messed up, he would—“

Percy’s voice cracked, “whenever I made a mess… I got hit.”

“Oh, Percy,” Annabeth whispered, Percy couldn’t tell what she was thinking, “gods, I’m so sorry.”

“Please don’t tell the others,” Percy begged, grabbing Annabeth’s hand, “ _ please _ , it’s not a big deal… and I don’t want them to think that it  _ is  _ a big deal. And I don’t want to seem weak in front of them. All this stuff happened so long ago, what would they think of me? Getting all caught up on stuff from the past.” It all came out in a jumbled blur of words but Annabeth understood.

“They’d think of you the same,” Annabeth said, “we’re mortal, getting upset over things that happened a long time ago is alright. The others won’t see you as weak or anything different than they already do. I promise that I won’t tell them, but you don’t have to be ashamed of it.”

“It’s embarrassing that this happened, I just… remembered his voice and I couldn’t… breathe, I didn’t want to be punished again…” Percy shook his head slowly, “He’s dead but he’s done his damage.”

Annabeth stroked his knuckles gently, “but you’re okay now? You got through that, you got through one world ending prophecy, and are going to live through a second. We’ll get through this.”

Percy cracked a small smile but he didn’t really feel the full thing, “right.”

“But, maybe you should tell the others some time. Not right now, but in the future... when we get through all this,” Annabeth insisted, she almost had said  _ if  _ but she caught herself.

“Maybe… one problem at a time wise girl,” Percy brushed his bangs out of his face.

“Okay,” Annabeth nodded, “I love you Percy.”

“I love you too,” Percy sniffled and wiped his face. He figured he probably should go apologize to the rest of the crew for his outburst but right now he was content on savoring this moment with Annabeth. Even if his back was sore and the floor of his cabin wasn’t very comfortable. Added with the fact that he probably looked a mess.

It wouldn’t have won an award for most romantic moment, but it would have to do. 

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. It’s like one am and I’m tired and wanting to go to bed. But I also wanted to write this so I comprised, the compromise being I would write this and not sleep. Hopefully it’s okay and not offending anyone. Well as always, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed and I love you all.


End file.
